The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-10-15
AN oRANGEMAN's SIDE OF 1T.
Thomas Sinclair, of Belfast, Explains
Why Ulstermen Oppose Home Rule.

Thomas Sinclair, of Belfast, Explains
Why Ulstermen Oppose Home Rule.
From the Ne,o York World.
Thomas Sinclair, of Belfast, Ireland, who
is Chairman of the Ulster Liberal Unionist
Committee, delivered an address last night
in the lecture room of DR.. John Halls
church, at Fifth avenue and Fifty fifth
street, on Presbyteriauism in Ireland Mr..
Sinclair was introduced by DR.. Hall, who
said that during a sojourn in this country
in 1862 and 1868 he was an attendant at his
church, and therefore known to many of
the congregation.
Mr.. Sinclair, after remalling in pref
atory way that he had been induced to adj
dress the congregation only by the peisua-
sive eloquence of DIR. Hail. said that the
Irish Presbyterian church was not progress
ing in point of numbers OF the increase of
material wealth, but i'll other respects was
never in more healthy condition. The
missionary spirit was active and there was
growing up within its limits class of young
men who promised to be earnest ard power
ful opponents of the truth. Interest in for
eign missions had attained pitch it had
never reached before and great work was
doing in the support and education of poor
children who had lost one or both of their
parents. The Irish fondneSs for attending
funerals was taken advantage OF by the
CHURCHES III Uue SOutu anu WtSJ OF ireland
to do evangelical work among the Catholics,
not i'll the controversialist spirit, but in the
way of presentation of doctrine.
Speaking of the attitude of the Irish Pres
byterians toward home rule, he said that
the General Assembly of that church, the
General Synod of the Protestant Episcopal
church, the Methodist Conference and vari-
Gus Unitarian bodies had all opposed it, 1t
had been said that this opposition was based
H., %aI
Speaking for the General Assembly of the
Irish Presbyterian church, he might say
that the vast majority OF that body were
Liberals in politics, and being co lscious Of
| how Presbyterlans, in common with Catho-
lies, had suffered under the penal laws, and
remembering their common struggles to
get rid OF the disabilities under which they
alike labored, it could not be said that Pres
! byterians were actuated 10y any unworthy
hostility. They would feel, however, very
keenly the injustice of transferring their
allegiance from the British Parliament to
! Parliament in Dublin, seeing that for almost
800 years they had lived in Ireland founded
their industries there aud invested their
capital in the faith of the British crown, by
whom also they had been brought into the
country.
They objected to the domination Of a
Parliament the majority of which would
be influenced by men familiar with the
methods adopted by the national league.
The Presbyterians objected to home rule
because they believed that it would seriously
injure the prosperity of the country For
example. he stated THAI in the interval be-
tween the PRONUNCIATION Of home rule by
Mr.. Gladstone and the defeat of his bill, the
value of the shares of undertakings CON
nected with Belfast, and of railways run
ming into Belfast, fell almost $5.000,000.
From the moment the bill was defeated
these shares began to rise The Presby-
teiians also feared that in a Parliament in
which Roman Catholics would be to Prot
estants as three TO one, the example of Irish
politicians in New York and elsewhere
might be followed and large sums raised by
taxation and applied indirectly TO sectaran
purposes. And thus Ulster, as the richest
province, would have to bear the largest
share They also believed that in any set
Element yet proposed of the question no ele-
ment Of finalitv had appeared, and that any
so-c1lled settlement would be but the signal
Tor fresh agitation